Herb garden kits are organized sets of supplies that are necessary to grow herbs. In most cases, herb garden kits contain seeds, soil, and some form of container. Depending on the brand, a kit might contain additional items as well, such as lids or lights. The purpose behind herb garden kits is to provide gardeners with an easy, inclusive way to grow herbs.

At a minimum, most herb garden kits contain seeds. The seeds can grow herbs for cooking, such as basil, thyme, oregano, chives, and sage. They can also grow herbs that are specialized for brewing tea, such as peppermint, spearmint, or lemon grass. There are even some kits that provide seeds that will grow herbs that are used in herbal medicine, such as catnip, echinacea, and lemon balm. Gardeners also can find kits that contain organic herb seeds.

In addition to seeds, the majority of herb garden kits come with some form of soil. Sometimes the soil comes in the form of peat moss pellets; when water is added to these pellets, they expand and give the seeds a medium in which they can grow into seedlings. Some kits come with packs of starter soil that can be used to start growing seeds. The seeds also may come already planted in the soil, and the consumer simply adds water.

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Many herb garden kits also come with pots or seed trays in which the soil and seeds can be placed. The pots sometimes are designed to disintegrate, so they can be planted directly into an outdoor herb garden when the plants are large enough. In the alternative, the pots can be a place for the seeds to grow into seedlings, but then the consumer will transplant the seedlings into large pots or into an outdoor garden.

In some cases, herb garden kits will contain additional accessories, such as tray lids, lights, and even pruning equipment. The tray lids often provide a greenhouse effect for the seeds, keeping their environment warm and moist. The lights will allow the seeds to grow well in areas where there is no direct sunlight or in homes where the windows contain a protective cover to keep out the sun’s rays.

There are even hydroponic or aeroponic herb garden kits. These kits use water and air to grow herbs from seeds — soil is not used. These kits typically contain pods that hold the seeds. They also contain nutrients that are added to the water to help the seeds grow.

Discuss this Article

John57Post 2

I have used the typical indoor herb garden kits in the past, but am really fascinated with the new hydroponic kits. I am interested in this type of gardening and think that a kit would be a great way to start. It would be nice not to have to mess with the soil.

I am not quite sure how these work, but think this would be a cost effective way to find out, and an easy project to get started.

LisaLouPost 1

I think an herb garden kit makes a great, unique gift. I have a friend who is a great cook and loves to make Italian dishes. I saw a kit for an Italian herb garden, and purchased it as a gift for her. She really loved it!

It came with several typical Italian herbs and everything else you needed to get started. All you had to do was add water and watch them grow. The best part was being invited over for dinner and being served a wonderful Italian pasta dish with fresh herbs that she grew on her windowsill!

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